2002 Editions Archives - Page 7 of 13 - BodyShop Business
Simulating Seniors: How do Engineers Know what the Older Generation Needs?

You can produce cars that appeal to young people easily enough, but how do you make sure those cars also suit the unique needs of senior citizens and members of AARP? Simply adopting the ad slogan, “Built for those of you with muscle aches and hemorrhoid pain,” isn’t going to be enough to convince seniors

What Lies Beneath: Good Surface Prep

Is a poorly prepared surface lurking under that shiny new paint job, just waiting for the right time to peel and to turn your life into comeback hell? If so, you’ve only got yourself to blame. The steps for proper surface prep haven’t changed. You just need to tart following them.

The Incredible Shrinking Industry

After a buying spree in the late ’90s and a struggle to integrate acquired shops into a “corporate” culture, consolidators are getting back on track and preparing to grow again. But this isn’t a death sentence for all independents.

Industry Profile

We’ve got industry stats that no one else has. The BSB annual Industry Profile is, by far, the industry’s most comprehensive collision-shop survey. Shop Owner Profile Find out what makes shop owners tick. Insurer-Relations Profile Who’s on DRPs, why they’re on them, why some DRP shops are still anti-DRP. Market Profile Take a look at

The Concept of DRPs: Good or Bad for the Industry as a Whole?

When asked if the concept of DRPs is good or bad for the industry as a whole, it’s no surprise that 85 percent of the respondents to the BodyShop Business 2002 Industry Profile who aren’t on DRPs say they’re bad. Many of you in that 85 percent are downright anti-DRP and have great arguments as

Liver Up: Comments Made by Respondents to the BodyShop Business Industry Profile Survey

I’ve heard a lot of dumb things in my life (many of them are things I myself have said outloud), but recently I heard something that shot right to the top of my “Really Dumb Thing to Say” list. It now ranks at No. 3, right under: No. 1 dumb thing to say: “When you

Let Your People Grow

When properly motivated and directed, employees drive the processes that result in quality, innovation, efficiency and customer satisfaction … a.k.a. your shop’s success.

Certifiable: Establishing IQ Prerequisites as Part of the Requirements for Earning a Driver’s License.

Most people can’t drive. Lucky for you. It keeps you in business. I, however, am a commuter – long on drive, short on patience. Just when I think I’ve seen it all, an even dumber driver comes along. Seventeen-year-olds behind the wheel with a cell phone glued to their ear and their turn signal still

A Change of Season

“Real development is not leaving things behind as on a road, but in drawing life from them, as from a root.” -G.K Chesterton

Parking Lot Pileup

To avoid an accident on the highway, a driver slammed on her brakes and crashed into seven parked cars instead – leaving a shop with a parking lot full of re-wrecked vehicles and a lot of explaining to do.

Is the Industry Suffering from Widespread Billing Fraud and Repair Defects

Editor’s Note: Some background: In 2000, California’s Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) launched an Autobody Inspection Program after Gov. Gray Davis signed legislation (2000-S.B. 1988) requiring the BAR to conduct a pilot program to determine the extent of autobody fraud in the state and to then recommend solutions to the legislature.

Paradise By the Dashboard Light

The Americans’ love affairs with their cars